Chapter 16: A chat with Andrew
After Riza hung up on the phone Andrew peaked his head into the room.
"Thank you for your kind remark to the Fuhrer" Riza spoke softly
"You earned it"
"I'm sorry I really must be heading to bed. I have to leave here at 9. So I must inform my subordinates"
"Oh? But your all leaving at 9 the next morning"
"Yes, but I was called back. So I'm leaving a day early. Sorry but I must be going"
"Well I really must talk with you. Could you come back right after you chatted with your subordinates? Please"
Riza bowed her head and left the room.
As soon as Riza left Andrew unlocked a door across the room. He walked down the ghostly dark stairs until he came across a room with pictures, and alchemy circles. He walked up to a table and unveiled Wind who was sleeping. Andrew carefully unbuttoned winds dress front to show a previous alchemy circle.
"Soon wind, soon you will be complete" Andrew said remaking Winds chest with an alchemy circle.
A flash of light took over the room. It started to glow white and a ball the size of a CD started to float away from winds body. Wind lost all pulse and turned ghostly white.
"Hold on Wind. It's almost ready. Just hold on! I think we found your match" Andrew said staring at Wind who was lying on the table with an alchemy circle around her.
Andrew bent down and kissed wind on her forehead and took off a pendant he was wearing. It was glowing blood red and you could hear a pulse form it. Andrew placed the pendant in the middle of the lifeless wind's body.
"This will keep you alive until I get the girl and do a human spirit transmutation. Maybe then you will be the wind I grew up with and not an evil demonic spirit," Andrew said while leaving the room.
Riza walked in the ballroom and found Havoc, Armstrong, Falman and Fury eating. As she took a seat she looked for Breda.
"Where did Breda go?"
Fuery sighed and pointed over to the buffet table they set out. After Riza giggled a little bit she went back to her sad face. Havoc noticed and looked up.
"Did he do something?"
"Who?" Riza asked curiously knowing exactly whom Havoc was talking about
"The Colonel?"
"No, he just had too much to drink and he passed out."
"Are you sure, you have marks on your shoulders," Havoc let out sadly because he knew Roy had a problem of drinking away his sorrows.
"Oh, yeah he got a little carried away but don't worry. He didn't try to hurt me"
"Then what's wrong?" Armstrong added in.
"I have to leave later today at 9. The Fuhrer called me and told me I have to return back to central"
"What for?" Fury yelled.
Riza didn't answer and looked away.
"So this is the last night with you basically!" Fury said sadly.
"Maybe. We'll see how well of a mood he is in tomorrow. But I'm not leaving Central for a while by the looks of it. I'm leaving the Colonels team though"
"How did this all Happen Ma'am?" Falman asked.
"Wind…" Riza let out coldly.
Havoc stood up from the table in rage. He slammed his hands on the table making the liquid in their drinks bounce Havoc started to scan the room.
"Where is she? That little Bitch is going to pay!"
"Calm Down Havoc!" Riza ordered angrily.
"No! If she didn't try to sleep with the colonel then nothing would have happened"
"I couldn't agree with you more Havoc. But right now your drawing attention to your self. Also, you're also not seeing the point that I'm done. There isn't anything I can do at this point but leave"
"Then I'll come with you to provide you a Witness" Falman added in the same rage as Havoc.
"A witness for what? You saw us on the dance floor and outside. I'm ordering you to stay here protect the colonel like your suppose to do and finish the mission! That includes you Fury! Armstrong I can't order you to do anything. But could you stay behind as a favor to me? Its only me who has to go"
"Very well Riza."
Before Armstrong could finish his sentence Riza was starting acting childish but she knew it would work.
"Pinky promise? You're an Armstrong you don't break promises its in your family tradition. Am I right? Consider that favor to be a promise"
Armstrong was flattered and with out thinking he agreed and shakes pinkies with Riza.
"Sir! What did u just do! Now u cant help her out!" Havoc yelled once more.
On the contrary Havoc when we get back don't expect us to stay quiet Riza, I can't promise I wont say anything. We will be talking with the Fuhrer about this. When Roy find out. He will be furious"
"You're not going to tell him. I want this kept behind everyone until the third day of your return!"
"Why?" all four added at the same time.
"Because he needs to complete this mission. He doesn't need my problems to become his problem. It's like him to drop such things to fix another. With certain history with me I'm sure he'd go after the Fuhrer in an instant. I'm sorry but that's is another order. Your silence!" Riza barked back.
"Ma'am he will ask where you went" Fury said calmly.
"Yes, I'll deal with that but on the other hand Mr. Andrew can do all that for me…"
"What's that Ma'am?" Falman asked.
"Never mind, I'll see you guys when you're back in central"
Riza sighed. As she stood up and wiped away a few hairs form her face. She took out the key that was to Roy's room and left it on the table and in her normal way she left the room soundly and politely. Everyone was quiet and didn't know what to say to make her not leave.
"OH Riza over here!" Andrew waved.
(And here I was hoping to get out of these heals…) Riza sighed in her head.
"Hello again Mr. Andrew" Riza turned around and walked over to Andrew who was at the front entrance saying goodbye to some guests.
"Shall we go now?"
Riza sighed. "Alright."
Andrew finished his good byes and walked Riza back to his office. He did the same as Wind, let Riza in first but locked the door so nobody could get in.
"I hate this, the colonel deserves to know!" Falman said in an angry voice.
"I know but were on orders so we cant do a thing" Fury answered.
"Well you can Alex, but no, you had to go and promise her that you wouldn't do a thing" Havoc quoted.
"A promise is a strong vow that the Armstrong tradition stayed true to" Armstrong said proudly.
"We need a plan, how to tell the colonel with out disobeying orders…" Havoc thought out loud.
"Its almost like we need someone to do it for us…" Fury added on.
"Hey guys! Why isn't anyone ells eating? They have lodes of stuff up there!" Breda said all cherry while setting his plate down.
As soon as bread say down the four men smiled and evil smile and looked amongst themselves.
"Jean, I think you just got your plan made for you" Falman said devilishly.
"Lets get to work!" Havoc said in his usual sly and chipper voice.
As the four men stared at Breda, who was drawing a plank on why everyone was looking at him they all crowded around Breda and started to fill him in on what happened and what they were going to do.
"Thanks for coming Riza. Please take a seat"
"Thank you" Riza nodded her head
Back in Andrews's office, Andrew sat down on the couch and padded the spot for a gesture to get Riza to sit down beside him. Riza did just that but went on a different couch and crossed her legs while looking around the room. Andrew didn't like that Riza didn't listened to him so he got up and sat beside her on the couch she was on. Riza didn't like this so she shuffled over to the arm a little more. Andrew placed his hand on her knee and signed.
"Please keep your distance and your hands to your self Sir," Riza said professionally as she usually did in the office.
"I'm so sorry you're just so beautiful"
Riza blushed a little bit. "Thank you Sir, but that does not give you a reason to be this close to me."
Andrew smiled to himself and took his hand off her knee and shuffled down the couch a little bit. Riza noticed a door across from her and in the cracks of the door there was red light glowing faintly.
Trying not to be distracted Riza started the conversation. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Well I realize the necklace you have, well the crystal, is an extremely rare crystal. You are aware of the philosopher stone are you not?"
"I have herd of it but I don't follow it. as you might tell I'm a military girl, not an alchemist"
"Then you know how it increases the holders powers. Well if the philosopher stone is a stone that amplifies power then the stone you have right there is a magic stone, its brother if you will. The magic stone is called the Realist stone."
Riza looked at her pendant. " This is a Realist stone? What is it?"
"The stone is like the philosopher stone but this deals with magic. It's a defense stone not a power stone although it does amplify the users magic."
"I don't use magic. Nor do I believe in it"
"Well then it help the alchemists, but it will work for people who don't have magic, it becomes a protection stone when it come to those people."
"Oh, I see. Does it glow colours or something?" Riza asked in a sarcastic voice.
"You had seen it glow before?"
"Was I that obvious?"
"A little yes, and yes the stone glows different colours for different situations. Protection would be blue, and magic would be an ice/shinny blue, but it only protects against people being directly attacked by magic, but it can also be manipulated."
"How do you know this?"
"Come with me, I'll show you"
Andrew stood up and walked over to the door with the faint red light.
(This stone is connected to Wind I know It. she was wearing this in the painting in the library.) Riza thought to herself.
As Andrew led Riza down the circular staircase leaving the door open at the top for light because the deeper they got the darker it got. Finally they were in a room where the walls were covered in alchemy circles and many pictured of Wind. Some were of her in a white dress on a swing. There was also some of her family. No matter what picture they all seemed to be torn, battered or stained but they all had one thing in common. She was wearing the necklace Riza was wearing. In the picture of her and her family, which consists of 5 people, all five had a stone. Riza looked over and saw a table in the middle of the room and Wind laid there un-conscious. She was in a white dress like in the pictures and her long brown hair flowing off the table. Riza also saw the stone glowing in the middle of her chest and got worried. (It looks like a copy of the philosopher stone. The one Ed and Al saw in Lior) Riza thought to her self. Riza was getting confused and a little scared of this.
"What's going on here? Why is wind on the table?" Riza said trying to stay calm. And walked up to wind to make sure she was alive.
Riza did hate wind but this girl on the table didn't look like the evil wind Riza hated. This girl looked completely different as if there was a different personality.
"Its simple my dear Riza, I want to see if that stone of yours is real. You see Wind had a stone like that one before but sinful me, I took it one day and tried to use it. The necklace one day shot up into the air and I could never find it. But as it seems people came and wore the necklace, I also did this test you will have to do. If they failed I'd use them to satisfy Winds power to stay here. But ever time she would reject it after a full month. And the necklace would disappear" Andrew walked over to Riza.
Before Riza could respond Andrew grabbed the base of Riza's neck and threw her down to wind almost forcing them to kiss. Just as this happened the Crystal started to react. "So it is real"
"LET GO OF ME!" Riza yelled out and pushed away his hand.
"I'm sorry Riza, I needed to make sure it was real. And it turned out that's the same necklace Wind had 21 years ago" Andrew said approaching Riza while taking the stone away form Wind.
"We were right, you are conducting a human transformation." Riza said in an angry discussed voice.
"No, a Human soul transmutation. But you see every time I get wind to comeback she started acting violent its as if its not wind. And like I said before it stay like that for a month until I can do anything."
"The soul is rejecting the body" Riza said devilishly.
"Yes, the soul can do that but if you have a strong enough circle it wont matter. Up till now I have been using ladies bodies for wind. Or the bodies that the crystals was compatible with" Andrew said starting to circle the room in an attempt to capture Riza.
"Do you ever wonder the reason why she is being violent is because she doesn't want to live, she wants to stay dead!" Riza shouted
(Andrew pretended that he didn't hear Riza) "Anyway I intend to use you as the next body, the stone doesn't reject you. The stone rejected everyone after a day connected with the winds body. Since it obeys you, you will be my next girl." Andrew said with a devilish smile.
"To hell I will!" Riza backed into a wall.
"You really want to test that? You don't have a gun on you, you can't use magic and this room is sound proof"
Riza just realized she didn't have her gun when she reached behind her back and realized she was still wearing the dress. (Damn he's right. I have nothing, but I have to try to leave here. At least in the office people can hear us) Riza thought to her self.
"Just one thing, is that stone the philosopher stone?"
"What a stupid question, you know the answer to that! And yes it is. A Homunculus by the named of Sloth gave it to me."
"You idiot, ever think that it's a fake!" Riza yelled.
"Even if so, it will still works for me to get what I want!" Andrew yelled.
Andrew just smiled and started heading towards Riza. With this Riza went to her last resort and tried to run out of the room. But every time she tried he'd block off the door to go back up the stairs. Andrew all of the sudden had the strength of at 20 years old and could run like one he had a blade that he pulled out of a table in his right hand and tried to hit Riza with it. Just as Riza tried to doge one of Andrews blows she tripped over her heels and fell twisting her ankle. Getting back up she tried to run again. Andrew tried swiping Riza with the blade and managed to get her arms a few times causing a sharp hot cut that drew blood. Just as Riza got to the stairs she tried to run up them and to no avail Andrew grabbed her ankle what was twisted and pulled her back down. Riza slammed her chin off the stairs causing a deep gash. Andrew drew his blade and thruster it down with a loud pain filled scream even Riza drew a few tears in her eyes. Riza looked down to see what had happened and she saw the blade through her ankle cutting through the bone. As she continued to examine the blade she saw it had an alchemy circle on the blade. With a sharp scream that Riza let out she tried to take the blade out herself. But she had no time and looked up at Andrew who was just starting a swing kicked. With no time to think and the pain everywhere on her body the kick made impact to her in the side of the head to knock her out.
"You aren't a challenge for me. Now that you're completely knocked out, your colonel will never hear you down here I'll be sure to have full success. Now lets get you ready…" Andrew said devilishly.